His Soul

Curioso's Box

You weren't sure where to put the box.

After stepping off the taxi and entering your office building for the Dark Light Detective Agency, you were at a loss. The container held in your hands no longer thrummed with the active presence of the dangerous creature you'd just contained. It looked completely still and lifeless - void of the vivid colors you'd seen in Curioso's realm. For a moment, panic surged through your being, wondering if his soul already somehow freed itself and slipped out of your grasp.

But you reasoned with yourself.

Curioso was a perilous being who made collecting human souls his morbid hobby. He'd narrowly avoided containment again, until you got your hands on him. He was either angry or saddened by the ordeal, and you didn't care to find out which that was. With a hurried step, you hastily set the item down on the edge of your desk. You brought your attention to your surroundings - taking note of whatever free space you had that wasn't filled with memorabilia of your previous successful cases.

"Now, where to put you ..." You mused aloud, tapping your lower lip in thought.

Before a decision could be made, a loud grumble resonated from your stomach. You were starving . The last thing you had to eat was a few bites of the small macaron at Andrew Collins' house. After a long day of freeing the captured collectors, you needed a proper meal. With a grumble, you took a seat at your desk and ordered takeout from a nearby Chinese restaurant. As you placed your order, your eyes refused to move from the container sitting in front of you.

It felt ominous, even though the danger inside was no longer a threat.

It was a tense fifteen minutes while you waited for your food. As soon as the man arrived, you wasted no time paying him in exchange for your dinner. You ate your dinner a little less than gracefully afterwards. As soon as your appetite was sated, you were faced with the same dilemma again.

Where to put Curioso's box?

You turned your head to admire the dark streets outside your window. It felt like you were stuck in that mansion for an eternity. Andrew retrieved you on a rainy evening, but now all was quiet outside. Was it even the same day? You had no clue how much time passed under Curioso's spell. If he froze it entirely...or if days, even weeks, had slipped by. You won't have an answer until you pick up tomorrow's newspaper.

You sighed, mentally debating with yourself.

'Do I trust to leave this... thing ...by itself while I'm gone?' After all, Curioso broke free simply because the energy around woke him up. 'Is that all he does in the box? Sleep? Can he be a threat when he's unconscious?'

Maybe it was a sense of paranoia. Or maybe you just didn't trust how well this thing could hold him. Something compelled you to grab it and carry it with you upstairs, into the apartment above your office. You carefully placed it on your bed and started a shower. You needed to wash off the grime from your adventure today, then get a good night's rest and face everything tomorrow.

After dressing in your nightwear, you carefully placed Curioso on your nightstand just beside your bed.

When your alarm went off in the morning and you fluttered your eyes open, you spotted the box sitting in its place. Your heartbeat quickened in a panic - remembering what it was you were looking at, as the events from yesterday flooded your mind. After a few strained seconds, you sat up in your bed and stretched your sore muscles. You'd prefer not having another rigorous case today, after all the running around you'd just done.

You went through your morning routine and brewed yourself a cup of coffee. As you waited, you couldn't help thinking of the newly-acquired package still sitting in your bedroom. It didn't feel right to keep that thing where you slept. As soon as you finished your cup of joe, you brought Curioso's box back down into the office. There, you took a more considerate glance around the room.